Maiden Name as baby's name?

peonie222 · June 2010

Do any of you know of anyone who has used their maiden name as their baby's name? I know of a few...Cooper and Gordon for example....and I think it's a cool idea! Just wanted to see what other people thought...

colonialbride · June 2010

We were actually considering it for our next baby if it's a boy. Rolston is my maiden name and I never considered it as a first name, but I think it might be neat as a way to keep the name going.Nickname could be Stone.

sunnyday016 · June 2010

I think it depends on the name. I saw an episode of Bringing Home Baby once where the couple named their baby my maiden name, which was Moore. That was the first time I had ever heard Moore as a first name. I may consider it for a middle name for a future phantom son though.

katags · June 2010

haha. It entirely depends on the maiden name. Mine is pronounced: witty (spelled differently). That would be tragic

qtpa2t · June 2010

I know lots of people who have done that - for boys and girls. I think it's cool when a name has personal meaning. I'm less fond of names like Cooper, etc. being used when there isn't any personal connection, but that's just me.

irlndsumer · June 2010

I don't know.... it seems like it would be odd for extended family. Like the grandparents calling the baby by thier last name would seem odd to me, but, to each thier own!

lindseyjane03 · June 2010

In my area, people do it ALL the time. We are in the midwest, but folks for folks in the south it has been a tradition for years!!

BrittH05 · June 2010

My DS's name is Kercher which is my mothers maiden name, and if we have another DS his name will be Brock which is my husbands mom's mainden name or Smith which is my maiden name. I LOVE IT!

kklickka · June 2010

I have a friend whose son is named Miller, her maiden name. I think that's cute. My mom wanted to name me Keller, after her great-grandmother (last name) and I'm glad she didn't! So it depends on the name.

anna7602 · June 2010

In my parents' culture, men are often called by their last names (and I can think of a few Americans who do this, too). Given this, for me it would be too weird to give a child a maiden name as first name. I would just think of what all of my dad's friends call him.

BethPSU · June 2010

DS is Reed which was my grandmother's maiden name (father and brother's middle name). My niece is Teagan. My sister (and my) maiden name is Teague.

KTH919 · June 2010

I know someone who did that and named their little girl Campbell, nn Cam. I think it's adorable.

colflowerM824 · June 2010

I've known 2 women who used her maiden name as her child's fn; one named her daughter Kelly and the other named her son Alexander.

Not to be a downer, but ironically both ended up going through UGLY divorces and now both sets of kids have no contact with their fathers. The moms have both gone back to their maiden names, but the kids can't become Kelly Kelly or Alexander Alexander.

HappyMrsK · June 2010

qtpa2t:
I know lots of people who have done that - for boys and girls. I think it's cool when a name has personal meaning. I'm less fond of names like Cooper, etc. being used when there isn't any personal connection, but that's just me.

This. I think so long as the name has personal meaning it can work, if not as a fn then as a mn.

dvilga · June 2010

Not maiden, but we named my son Cooper Graham. Cooper after Dh's grandparents last name and Graham after my grandparents last name. My DH is the 3rd and there was no way I was naming my child the 4th, so I figured this way Cooper had ties to both of our families plus since he is a boy he would technically always keep his last name.

melpfaff · June 2010

I think it can be nice way to incorporate your family if the name has a nice ring to it. My maiden name could never be a first name--doesn't sound nice and the spelling if awful.

Friends or family I have seen do this that I feel worked well are:

Carey, Riley, Keagan

Cheekie4 · June 2010

Is this a German thing? I have a childhood friend w/ her mother's maiden name as her MN. Her granmother was born & raised in Germany, so I just always thought it was a German thing. Oh...& all thru preschool, I had barbies named her middle name (even tho it's definitely not a first name).

BrideBuddies · June 2010

I think it really depends on the name and how it fits with the child.

My friend gave her little girl the middle name of Powell because it was her maiden name. Now she kind of regrets that. Doesn't really fit her and sounds more like a double last name.

For our son, I wanted to use a MN of Jefferson, since it was my grandmother's maiden name and we're a direct descendant of Thomas Jefferson. Hubby shot it down so we opted for Henry instead.

jlw559 · June 2010

colflowerM:

I've known 2 women who used her maiden name as her child's fn; one named her daughter Kelly and the other named her son Alexander.

Not to be a downer, but ironically both ended up going through UGLY divorces and now both sets of kids have no contact with their fathers. The moms have both gone back to their maiden names, but the kids can't become Kelly Kelly or Alexander Alexander.

This is what would stop me despite the fact that I love my maiden name enough to do it.

morganore · June 2010

My cousin did that and I have my mom's maiden name as my middle name

honkytonk_kid · June 2010

My maiden name is Parker, and it's on our boy list!

I really like the idea, but like pp have said it depends on the name!

tay5267 · June 2010

My grandma did this with my dad. Hers was Stevens and named him Steven. My last name was Taylor and the thought crossed my mind but DH would never have gone for it.

kmpls · June 2010

Yep! I did this w/ my son.

If I were to get divorced and change my name back - why would I change my son's last name too? That doesn't make any sense,

mommamathews3719 · June 2010

My maiden name would scar a child for life, even as a last name I was teased.

Hooker!

I think it's a good idea though.

starlight8323 · June 2010

irlndsumer:
I don't know.... it seems like it would be odd for extended family. Like the grandparents calling the baby by thier last name would seem odd to me, but, to each thier own!

Oh, wow, I've never thought of it that way. Good point! Luckily my maiden name is awful, so I would never consider using it for anything.

colflowerM:
I've known 2 women who used her maiden name as her child's fn; one named her daughter Kelly and the other named her son Alexander... both ended up going through UGLY divorces... The moms have both gone back to their maiden names, but the kids can't become Kelly Kelly or Alexander Alexander.

What a horrible situation to be in!

BrideBuddies:
For our son, I wanted to use a MN of Jefferson, since it was my grandmother's maiden name and we're a direct descendant of Thomas Jefferson. Hubby shot it down so we opted for Henry instead.

I think it's weird that your DH shot it down so quickly, eventhough he knew how important it was to you.

I would like to use my great-grandmother's maiden name of Lancaster for a middle name, since it is an important part of British history, and holds special meaning for my family.

Temp984666312503071 · June 2010

Yea... My maiden name is Jensen and I know a few boys with that name. I don't love it as a first name though so I think we're going to pass.

My girlfriend's maiden name is Carter and she and her hubby have decided that if they have a son he will be named Carter.

So I guess if the name sounds good and both mom and dad love it then it is a perfect idea. Some maiden names are just NOT suited to be first names though .

Allie30 · June 2010

Clark Kent.

Srsly. Superman's adopted mom's last name was Clark.

Also, I think it's a lovely idea, as long as you don't have an unwieldy maiden name, like Provoleski or Schwarzanegger. I wouldn't name my kid after my name if that was the case. :-)

nolagee · June 2010

I thought about doing this. My last name would work for a girl or boy. Doubt I will though.

plunderb · June 2010

My siblings and I all have my mother's maiden name as a middle name.

One of my brothers also has her grandmother's maiden name as a first name ? Wheeler. He was called Willie as a young child, but goes by Wheeler now and loves having a unique name.

Mrs. J · June 2010

Our last name begins with Beck, and that's our nephew's name. I know of a little girl named Callie, and her Mom's Maiden name is Callaway. Also have a friend who's last name was Cooper, and that's what she named her little boy. I think it's cute to use maiden names for kids.

misscharlotte04 · June 2010

My Grandmother's Maiden name (Rey) is my mother's middle name and my sister's first name (Rae).

We had some friends who named their daughter Brayton (which was mom's maiden name)

My last name would not work well for either a first or MN, but I like the idea!

LPace84 · June 2010

mommamathews3719:

My maiden name would scar a child for life, even as a last name I was teased.

Hooker!

I think it's a good idea though.

Bahahaha! Made my morning! Yes

jpbling · June 2010

DH has an aunt who named his cousin after her maiden name. Her maiden name was Dalton and she named him Dolton.

LPace84 · June 2010

I thought of this. My GG's (paternal side) maiden name was Hartley and my other GG's (maternal side) was Fuller (this is also my grandmother's middle name). My maiden name is Pace. Hartley I feel is good for a girl (fn or mn). Fuller is definitely best for a boy in my opinion. I'm on the fence about Pace. I thought about Pacen. Pacer sounds weird. ???

spdacus · June 2010

Same here! My brother & I, as well as many of our cousin's and my nephew have our mother's maiden name as a middle name, Peyton.

I also had a friend in college named Curran which was his mother's maiden name.

I think it's a great idea!

That.Just.Happened · June 2010

I know lots and I absolutely love the idea. But I am big on names with meanings.

aliciaking09 · June 2010

well not for me cuz my maiden name is king so our baby would be

King Dent (not Cut)

BrideBuddies · June 2010

For our son, I wanted to use a MN of Jefferson, since it was my grandmother's maiden name and we're a direct descendant of Thomas Jefferson. Hubby shot it down so we opted for Henry instead

I think it's weird that your DH shot it down so quickly, eventhough he knew how important it was to you.

Oh, I shouldn't have made it sound that negative. We talked about it for a while and it wasn't all that important to me. DH just wasn't a fan of it, mostly because he thought of William Jefferson Clinton and that kinda turned him off from it. If we have another boy, it'll be back on the table. The MN we picked also has strong family ties for both of us, so that's why we went with it.

starlight8323 · June 2010

BrideBuddies:
Eaglefoot23:
BrideBuddies:

For our son, I wanted to use a MN of Jefferson, since it was my grandmother's maiden name and we're a direct descendant of Thomas Jefferson. Hubby shot it down so we opted for Henry instead

I think it's weird that your DH shot it down so quickly, eventhough he knew how important it was to you.

Oh, I shouldn't have made it sound that negative. We talked about it for a while and it wasn't all that important to me. DH just wasn't a fan of it, mostly because he thought of William Jefferson Clinton and that kinda turned him off from it. If we have another boy, it'll be back on the table. The MN we picked also has strong family ties for both of us, so that's why we went with it.

Oh, good! Glad to hear it would be back on the table for the next one. Smile

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